WHAT IS PAIN MANAGEMENT?
Pain management is a branch of medicine that involves diagnosing and treating acute and chronic pain conditions. At Integrity Spine and Orthopedics, our physicians are pain management specialists who will work with you to identify the exact origin of your pain and provide targeted, optimal treatment.
Pain — especially chronic pain — affects every part of your life. You may find it difficult to work, sleep, feel energized or enjoy socializing with family and loved ones due to pain. Chronic pain can also lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anger and anxiety.
Our treatment goals are to reduce your levels of pain, increase your abilities to do activities and work, and improve your overall quality of life. We take a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to pain management that includes a mix of conservative treatments, lifestyle changes and minimally invasive operative procedures.
TYPES OF PAIN
There are 2 primary ways that pain is classified: how long it lasts and where it originates.
ACUTE VS. CHRONIC PAIN
Acute pain lasts for less than 6 months. It usually has an identifiable cause — like a sports injury, fall or car accident — and it comes on suddenly after an incident occurs. Acute pain may be severe and intense when it begins, but it gradually fades as healing occurs. Broken bones, strains and sprains are all examples of injuries or conditions that cause acute pain.
Chronic pain lasts longer than 6 months. It may be caused by past injuries that began as acute pain, or it may have no identifiable cause. The severity of pain can change day-to-day. Degenerative diseases that cause progessive damage to the body’s joints or soft tissues can lead to chronic pain. Arthritis, degenerative disc disease, low back pain and nerve damage pain are all examples of injuries or conditions that cause chronic pain.
NOCICEPTIVE VS. NEUROPATHIC PAIN
Nociceptive pain describes pain that originates from damaged, injured or inflamed muscles, bones, joints or soft tissues. It develops when pressure, pinching, physical injury, inflammation or other stimuli triggers the pain receptors (nociceptors) in soft tissues. It’s the most common type of pain people feel and it may be acute or chronic. Fractures, strains, sprains, joint pain and arthritis are all examples of injuries or conditions that cause nociceptive pain.
Neuropathic pain (also called nerve pain) describes pain that originates from the nervous system. It develops when damage, injury or disease to the nerves or nervous system causes nerve fibers to send out pain signals. Neuropathic pain is usually chronic and it typically worsens over time. Nerve compression caused by accidents, injuries or disease is an example of neuropathic pain.
COMMON TREATMENTS
At Integrity Spine and Orthopedics, our physicians will create a pain management plan based on the severity of pain, the cause of pain and the impact pain is having on your ability to perform normal daily activities. Your management plan may include the following:
- Oral medications
- Topical pain relievers
- Epidural steroid injections
- Destruction via thermal ablation
- Nerve block injections
- Physical therapy
- Exercise
- Lifestyle changes
- Counseling
Surgical procedures are also an effective pain management treatment. At Integrity Spine and Orthopedics, we perform minimally invasive spine surgeries to treat painful and debilitating back and neck conditions like spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and disc herniation. The primary cause of pain in the above conditions is usually changes in the spine that lead to nerve root compression and nerve damage. We use diagnostic tools like epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks to confirm the source of pain as nerve root compression, so that we can perform the optimal procedure to relieve pain and restore normal function.
Minimally invasive procedures have fewer risks than open surgeries and require less recovery time and rehabilitation after surgery. Our team of board-certified orthopedic doctors specialize in minimally invasive procedures.
CONTACT INTEGRITY SPINE AND ORTHOPEDICS TO FIND RELIEF FROM BACK OR NECK PAIN
At Integrity Spine and Orthopedics, we specialize in identifying, diagnosing and treating a wide range of acute and chronic back, spine and joint conditions. If you’re experiencing back or joint pain, weakness, or a loss of mobility, reach out to us today to schedule a consultation with our team. We provide compassionate and comprehensive care to help you find relief from pain and get back to doing the activities you love.
Call us at 904-456-0017 or contact us online to request an appointment.